Pacific nations are committed to power their economies with 100 percent renewable energy within the next 15 years.
This was a central theme among Pacific stakeholders at the two-day Oceania Renewable Power Summit in Auckland this week.
Ministers and senior executives from Samoa, Niue, Fiji, Nauru, Cook Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu were part of the conference, delving deeper into the renewable electricity generation sector across Oceania.
They focussed on four key themes; construction, market integration, financing, and asset management - all in efforts to commit to renewable energy in their NDCs (nationally determined contributions) to end their reliance on fossil fuels within the next 10-15 years.
According to the United Nations, fossil fuels, such as coal, gas and oil, account for more than 80 percent of global energy production.
But fossil fuels are the biggest contributors to climate change and the call to accelerate transition to cleaner sources of energy is gaining ground.
Photo: Nick Monro
Pacific nations, which remain the most vulnerable to climate change impacts, continue to prioritise efforts to shift to sustainable energy sources.
Samoa's Minister of Natural Resources, Environment and Lands, Toesulusulu Cedric Schuster, said the discussion around the cost of battery storage for solar panels was promising for his nation.
"One of our biggest issues is [energy] stability," he said.
"As we transition into renewable solar panels, when we are unable to store [that energy], it means that's lost."
Decreased in battery storage costs for solar panels is welcomed, he said.
In May 2012, ministers from Small Island Developing States (SIDS) agreed to the Barbados Declaration, which included a commitment to renewable energy targets by Pacific Island Countries (PICs).
Seven of these countries declared a goal to generate 100 percent of their electricity from renewable technologies.
A decade ago, Tokelau became the world's first territory to be powered by solar energy.
Today, despite increased electricity demand and battery shortages, solar energy still supplies 75 percent of the total power on the three atolls, reducing diesel imports by 80 percent.
Energy Fiji chair Rokoseru Nabalarua said ocean technology could be the Pacific's most valuable energy asset.
He believes that the ocean surpasses solar and wind energy options.
"One thing that we have plenty of in the Pacific is we've got a lot of ocean. If we are able to generate power from ocean current, we can achieve two things quickly," he told RNZ Pacific.
"One [will be] to get power sources through ocean energy. Second, we can have a dissipation plant as part of that process, particularly when we are so dependent on fossil fuels that we need to keep an eye on the hydrogen fuels space" Nabalarua said.
Photo: Nick Monro
In severe weather conditions, fossil fuel imports often fail to reach the Pacific islands. Trees can fall and sever electric wires, while floods can block roads and damage generators, resulting in power outages.
In such scenarios, having a supplementary energy source, such as solar power, is essential for island nations.
Niue's finance minister Crossley Tatui said the knowledge gained from the summit and the installation of their new power station will strengthen the atoll's resilience.
"This week we have expertise on the Island trying to test our new power station that will provide assistance for the 50-year celebrations, we are satisfied it will provide for the celebrations.
Meanwhile, New Zealand's National MP Stuart Smith encouraged the Pacific to take advantage of other resources within their country.
"There are all these other resources that can be taken advantage of, but it takes investment," he said.
"With all these diesel generators in place in the Pacific they can be converted to run on a biomethane.
"I encourage philanthropists who want to help the Pacific Islands become self-sufficient by creating projects rather than just giving money," Smith added.